“After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr. Baldwin has criminal culpability in the death of Halyna Hutchins and the shooting of Joel Souza,” the prosecutors said in a statement. “We believe the appropriate course of action is to permit a panel of New Mexico citizens to determine from here whether Mr. Baldwin should be held over for criminal trial.”
“It is unfortunate that a terrible tragedy has been turned into this misguided prosecution,” Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel, said in a statement. “We will answer any charges in court.”
Charges of involuntary manslaughter were initially brought against Baldwin and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed in late January, with prosecutors alleging that they failed to follow a number of safety measures. Both pleaded not guilty.
In April, prosecutors dropped the charges against Baldwin to give them more time to investigate. Charges against Gutierrez-Reed moved forward with her trial scheduled to begin in Feb. 2024.
Baldwin was handling a prop gun on the set of “Rust” in October 2021 when it discharged, killing cinematographer Hutchins and wounding Souza, the film’s director. In an interview with ABC News later that year, Baldwin denied pulling the trigger of the .45 Long Colt revolver in question.
On Feb. 9, Hutchins’s family in Ukraine filed a lawsuit against Baldwin and others involved in production, alleging battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and loss of consortium, which refers to the impact of Hutchins’s personal relationships caused by her death. Three former crew members sued Baldwin and the film’s producers the same month, asking for damages for “blast injuries” they say they suffered when the gun fired.
In a counterclaim he filed for a previous lawsuit last November, Baldwin is suing Gutierrez-Reed and others associated with the film for giving him the loaded gun that killed Hutchins. The suit “seeks to clear his name” and hold the defendants “accountable for their misconduct.”
Last spring, “Rust” production moved from its original location in New Mexico to a ranch in Montana, and filming wrapped in May, a month after prosecutors initially dropped charges against Baldwin.